Any dog whisperers/psychologists/loving experts here to advise?

The poor pooch is just gonna have to deal.

Maybe you could stop by every now and then. In fact, since I got dogs they've been making me take breaks from the writing. They force me to get away from the computer, go outside, take long walks and get some fresh air. Maybe you and Deuce could have regular walk dates. He won't have a quantity of time with you, but it'll be quality time. And you will reap the health benefits, too.

Yeah, I'm not sure either there is much you can do. He's just gonna have to learn to deal with it.

Even though you don't want him in your house, he will be calmer if he knows that is where you are. I would suggest that when you move out everyone walked up to the new house. Then his family leave with him. It is amazing how much easier that is for a dog to understand. he still may be unhappy but it will cut down the confusion/doubt/anxiety aspect.

Maybe leave an old sweater or blanket of yours so he can smell you when you're gone.

I like Veinglory's suggestion, however I'd add that a lot also depends on the attitudes of both families during this.

Dogs pick up on emotion very easily, so if there's lots of excitement, they get over-excited. If people are being fussy, sad, or whatever, they'll pick up on that and expand on it. They're our emotional fun-house mirrors, in a way.

So when you're walking up to the new house en force, keep the tones conversational. No running, no excitement from the children, no sad good-byes to the dog from the children. Just normal conversation and emotions. It's not good-bye--the dog will be right there for them to visit and walk (them walking the dog regularly is good on many levels), so if all of you can keep yourselves calm, the dog will accept the parting better.

It's important to keep that up until the dog has completely adjusted to the new living situation--which he will do quickly, if you don't make a big fuss.

It's more up to the people in his life than him. Good luck--and let us know how it goes.

Separation Anxiety

A lot of dog anxiety is caused by well-meaning humans. A sensitive dog will pick up on vibes you're not even aware you're putting out. People spend way too much time talking to dogs and petting them and it's not necessarily what they need at that time. That kind of attention can have the reverse effect.

So, no good-byes. Good-byes make no sense to a dog. People fawning over and hugging and saying good-bye might make the people feel good but it incites anxiety in the dog. In the doggy mind you're telling them something's coming up, something you want them to be a part of because you're engaging them. The dog gets excited and anticipates something...they're waiting...and then the door is closed in their face and you leave. The dog thinks. "Hey! I need to be with you because you were just talking to me just before you walked out the door." It's no wonder dogs go berserk trying to get out and follow they're pack member. Of course not all dogs behave this way. Some dogs handle our human miscues better than others.

The best way to tone down anxiety is to keep your own emotions/responses low key and be as unengaging with the dog as possible, meaning, ignore it. Hard for many people to do, but it's best for the dog that you don't feed the excitement/anxiety.

The time for excitement would be when you come to visit and play with the dog. When it's time to go, allow the dog to settle and then with no words, no eye contact, walk away. He'll get used to the new circumstances if you allow him the time to get used to the new routine.

My husband and I travel, alot. One of our dogs is hyper-sensitive. When we get ready to pack, the dog is out of the house or in the basement. We carry the suitcases since he recognizes the sound of the rollers. We pack the day before and put the suitcases in the car, all out of sight and sound of the dog. Then when we leave, we simply leave. No goodbyes. Just out the door like we're running an errand.

I had to constantly berate my husband for making a big scene when we returned. He like the crying and the jumping and the general manic greeting because let's face it, it's nice for the ego, but it would take a looong time for Steve (our dog) to settle down and the anxiety really wasn't pleasant for the dog. Now when we come back, even if we've been gone a month or more we simply walk in the house and ignore the over the top anxious behavior until the dog calms down. Then we pet him and take him for a walk and all is calm and happy.

A calm dog is a happy dog.

Perks said:

This is all good stuff. He's such a fearful guy, so he's enjoyed being able to hang out with someone when he's nervous - which is about 70% of the time. He's gotten way spoiled, too. The girls discovered that he likes to be covered with a blanket, so ten times a day they tuck him in wherever he happens to be lounging. He loves this and it's one of the few things that can keep him calmer when there's a storm or workers or birds chirping or papers rustling or...

Lol!

Poor Deuce. He's a mess.

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He might like a nice dog shirt. I have an anxious dog and when he is bad I put a doggie polo shirt on him. It does seem to help.

Perks said:

Lol! What a great idea. He's big enough, he could probably wear a man's shirt.

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The point of the shirt (they sell them under the name Thunder Shirt) is that it's a compression garment that hugs the dog's body. I think it's a distraction for the dog and while it seems lots of dogs initially respond to them I'm not sure if the dog wouldn't eventually get used to it and it would no longer serve its purpose. But you could give it a try. Maybe it helps by making the humans less anxious by giving us a sense we're doing something for the dog.

In any event it couldn't hurt.

My sister's dog loves me a lot. So when I leave there, I don't make a fuss. I just point at the dog and say 'stay'. Then the dog knows I'm going out without her and she's calm about it.

Obviously if you use the stay command for another action, you need to think of another word. But it does work for Pudgy.

Of course, this probably only works if you don't live with the dog and it knows that sooner or later you will be leaving. So maybe not that helpful..... LOL!

Some dogs are just set that way, temperamentally, just like some people are.

Perks said:

He's just so pitiful. He's enormous and terrified of everything. I'm probably making too big a deal of it. I just hate it that he goes off his food and gets the trots when one of us doesn't come home. He's a mess. And he's not indulged. His owners don't feed into his anxieties or anything. It's just the way he his.

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What I have to work on with my hyper-sensitive dog is to not get annoyed or frustrated with him. He can tell and it feeds his anxiety. He's a very soft dog and being a dog handler I can feel myself getting aggravated sometimes with his silliness. I bought him for my husband who is not much of a dog trainer so I wanted something easy. His breeder warned me he was a whiner. But he's sweet and if he's not much good for anything other than being a German shepherd love puppy I'm okay with that. It's just that when he gets accidentally bumped by the door and cries I have to control my breathing and facial expression. I mean, really, not even a three year old child would be phased by a gentle door bump.

The farting might have a dietary element as well. I had a dog that farted up a storm until I changed her food.

I agree that the farting might be a dietary issue. It could be he has some level of food allergies or sensitivities; perhaps not enough to make him itchy, but enough to make him super gassy.

Anxiety like that must be horrible for a dog. You guys mentioned shirts (in general and the Thundershirt) and it's also possible to do an "anxiety wrap" with an Ace bandage, to see if that helps (There's a blog entry here on T Touch and Anxiety Wraps). Another "over the counter" remedy for him might be Rescue Remedy.

Really, though, with the levels of anxiety you say (though it doesn't sound as though he's destructive or hurts himself through destructiveness), it might be helpful for him and his people to seek out a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist. Such a vet would be able to discuss medications, behavior adjustment therapy, that kind of thing. Poor guy

The farting is most likely the food, and that's an issue that can be fixed. Probably the best source I know of for dog nutrition information is Sabine Contreras, http://www.dogfoodproject.com/

Now, it doesn't work for every dog, but more often than not it helps: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0030NWZUC/?tag=absowrit-20

Actually, if he's bloated and farts all the time, it might also make his anxiety issues worse. All those rumblings and painful bowel movements can't help.

Poor guy.

There are some gas remedies you can give dogs -- JUDICIOUSLY. On the rare occasion any of mine are gassy, I give them something like Phazyme or Gas-X, with simethicone. If it's all the time, though, there's something going on that needs to be addressed, most likely dietary. Grains are the most common culprit.

The dog foods you find in the grocery or superstore aren't something any dog should ever be eating.

Sounds like a great dane, except he's too small

Don't know if this is a practical option but the dog might be less anxious if he had a calm and confident doggy companion.